The Five Dysfunctions of a Team — A Leadership Fable

Abstract

The book is written as a fable, with a fictitious company in very bad shape. A new CEO is brought in to save the day. She has great experience, has been a very successful organization consultant, and has a plan to bring the company back. Her plan revolves around the following model and her belief that it all starts with the Leadership Team. Absence of Trust • Teams are built from clarity and trust • Being vulnerable with each other builds trust • Without real trust we are stuck with invulnerability Fear of Conflict • Many of us fear or avoid conflict, but dealing with conflict constructively (once trust is built) can be a good thing • So, disagree, challenge, and question one another • Without this kind of atmosphere and approach, we are stuck with artificial harmony Lack of Commitment • We are more likely to commit to something if we have had our “say” on the issues, made suggestions, and raised concerns, even if we have raised conflict too • Unfiltered conflict drives buy-in even without consensus • Without commitment we have ambiguity Avoidance of Accountability • Commit to decisions and hold one another accountable • A team is a team, because it works together toward common goals • Without trust, conflict and real commitment we often set our standards too low Inattention to Results • Even though teams are often made up of people from different functions or functional leaders, the team’s results (their collective results) must come before individual results or agendas